Intrepid Group rejigs senior leadership to focus on sustainable growth

21 November 2017

Intrepid Group has announced the addition of two new senior executive roles on its global leadership team.

Effective from January, Michael Edwards will move into the role of chief growth officer, while Leigh Barnes will formally move into the newly created role of chief purpose officer on July 1st.

It has been two years since the Intrepid Group returned to independent ownership, since then it has seen record growth of 20 per cent per year across all of its brands.

Aligned with the company’s long-term vision, chief executive James Thornton created the roles to focus on sustained growth in both purpose and profit.

Thornton believes the chief growth officer and chief purpose officer will help Intrepid Group become the first billion-dollar adventure travel company, while donating $3 million into local communities through the Intrepid Foundation by 2020.

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“The new senior executive roles are a testament to the rapid growth and innovation we are experiencing as a global leader in the tourism industry,” said Thornton.

“We created these roles so that we can continue to fulfil our business’s founding philosophy of helping people and the planet through travel – while creating a new industry standard where purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive.”

In his role Edwards, formally Intrepid Group’s regional director in Europe, Middle East and Asia, will manage the organisation’s regional directors and marketing services team.

In 2018, Edwards will help Intrepid Group expand its Adventure Cruising programme into Asia and launch its first Antarctica charters in partnership with Chimu Adventures.

Barnes, formally director of North America, will work closely with Intrepid Foundation and external partners as Intrepid Group seeks to create more shared value projects and operate a business with a purpose beyond profit.

In 2018, it will be committing 0.75 per cent of global revenue towards purpose activities, creating a team of dedicated employees to lead the Intrepid Foundation, and attaining B-Corp status.

“The board and the leadership team are confident that Leigh Barnes and Michael Edwards are the best people for their respective roles and ensure the company is both profitable and sustainable,” said Thornton.